Johnson was formerly facing 13 charges relating to sexual abuse against a minor

Clint Cole - Editor

Randy Johnson, formerly the pastor at Dallas Center Church of the Brethren, accepted a guilty plea on charges of child endangerment causing bodily injury and indecent exposure. He was originally charged with 13 counts relating to sexual abuse of a minor.

On Friday, March 2, he was sentenced by Judge Terry Rickers to an "indeterminate" prison sentence not to exceed five years for the child endangerment charge and one year in jail for the indecent exposure charge. Both sentences were suspended and he has been placed on probation for a period of three years for the child endangerment charge and for a concurrent term of two years for the indecent exposure charge.

Additionally he will be required to submit a DNA sample to the Department of Correctional Services and be placed on the sex offender registry for a period of 10 years. He was also place on parole for 10 years, and the no-contact order with the victim, Rachel Johnson, was extended for a period of five years.

He will also be required to complete sex offender treatment.

Before the judgment was handed down by Rickers, the victim, 17-year-old Rachel Johnson, read a victim impact statement, giving permission to have her words and name recorded by the media.

Rachel Johnson had been living with Randy and his wife, Kathy Johnson, as their daughter since she was four years old, and she alleges the abuse took place when she was 12 and 13 years old. She alleges that the first incident occurred when they were watching a movie together on the couch at home, and afterwards told her mother, Kathy Johnson, what had happened.

"She said the next time it happened, she'd contact the police," Rachel Johnson said during her statement.

The next time it happened, about a week later, she said he touched her inappropriately and told her to keep quiet so that Kathy wouldn't hear. When she told Kathy what had happened, she says she got the same response as before, that next time she would contact the police.

"It's like she didn't care that this was going on," Rachel said.

Rachel said that as the abuse continued, Kathy requested that Randy and Rachel both take a lie-detector test since she didn't know who to believe. Rachel said that she was "all for it," but Randy didn't want to go.

Rachel said that eventually Randy told Kathy about the abuse.

"My mom still didn't care," Rachel said. "She still never told the police."

At 16 years old, Rachel said that she moved out of the Randy and Kathy's house as a result of not feeling safe there anymore and went from foster home to foster home and two shelters.

"I want everyone in this court room to know that Randy August Johnson is not innocent and he deserves the maximum sentence for all the sexual, mental and emotional abuse I will forever live with," Rachel said.

The victim impact statement read by Rachel included information about all 13 of the original charges, but Rickers reiterated that he could only make a judgment based on the charges that were still on the table, the charge of indecent exposure and the charge of child endangerment. He also stated that the child endangerment charge was related to an act committed by her brother, that no longer lives in the home.

"The basis for that charge is a failure to protect Rachel Johnson from that abuse," Rickers said.

A pre sentencing investigation revealed that Randy Johnson appears to be at a "low risk" to re-offend, but Judge Rickers believed that a suspended sentence was still more appropriate than a deferred judgment.

Randy Johnson had requested a deferred judgment and that the conviction be left of his record going forward, but Judge Rickers denied those requests.

"I feel that I'm obligated, as part of my duty to protect the public, to make sure that this conviction remains a matter of record, that you obtained the treatment and counseling that is obviously needed in this case, and that you have the supervision from the Department of Correctional Services that will continue to protect the public and provide you with an opportunity to eventually get beyond this," Rickers said.

After the sentencing Rachel Johnson said that she felt that justice was served.

"He got what he deserved," Rachel said. "He definitely didn't get prison time like I was hoping but he did get probation and it will definitely be on his record and that's never going to go off."

She said that the situation has torn her life apart, but that she has learned from it.

"I've met a lot of new family, a lot of new friends, I've really learned from it and I think I became a lot better person," Rachel said.

She said she hopes that other children in similar situations who hear her story, will have the courage to come forward and tell an adult.

Randy Johnson was arrested on Jan. 25, 2017 after an investigation by the Dallas County Sheriff's Department and the Dallas Center Police Department. He was originally charged with the following crimes:

Three counts of Indecent Contact with a Child (aggravated misdemeanor)

Two counts of indecent exposure (serious misdemeanor)

Four counts of Sex Abuse 3rd (C Felony)

One count of Lascivious Acts with a Child (C Felony)

Two counts of Assault with Intent to Commit Sex Abuse (Aggravated Misdemeanor)